Here’s what I think really happened with the latest Google core update

by Tom Peary

March 2024 was a month like any other really, bit rainy, still not very warm but overall pretty much the same as the previous month.

That was until March 5th when rumblings online spread like wildfire of a big Google update, the usual suspects shared their volatility graphs on Twitter (sorry X, never getting used to that). Then Google announced what would be for a number of sites one of the biggest and pivotal shake ups since the reign of the Penguin updates.

Time for spam clean up?

I rarely sit on the edge of my chair, it’s a nice chair too but in this instance I paid a little more notice. Not because I thought there was a particular reason to worry but hopefully this was the start of a cleanse. A much needed and overdue clean up of the wasteland the SERPS had become for many sectors.

I can’t tell you how bored I was seeing spammy high DA sites showing for irrelevant content. Oh what’s that you say you want specifics? Sure.

Why it was needed

So I am interested in finding some late night casino fun, but I am bombarded with Outlook India (they’re not getting a free link off me), Talk Sport, how is TalkSport relevant to online slots?!?! I don’t care how anyone spins this, I know what I see, its Domain Authority bullying. It’s the abuse of having a high powered, authority site then allowing guest posting squatters and paid content to rank. It’s like being a total minger but having a good looking friend, you stand next to them in hopes of getting one of their left overs. But at the end of the night you’re still 5ft 4, overweight, splash of acne and poor chatter. 

So, I was hoping this might be the start of the declutter.

Instead I woke everyday for the next few days to a week on Twitter watching the landslide and destruction of PBNs. Yeah call them what you will, “content creators” you’re here for one thing, manipulate search and get a free ride. You were lucky you were allowed at the dinner table this long.

Let’s be honest too, how many we’re touting themselves as SEO gurus, ‘I can show you how to dominate on Google Discover, but you need to sign up to my “free course” ‘ – except the only thing about it that was free was to sign up, if you wanted the juice you paid.

Let’s be brutal about it: ‘SPAM!”

Every single person I have listened to publicly moan about their site getting smashed in this latest core update had also been hit in the HCU in September. And almost all of them as well were so public about their endeavours they most likely gave Google enough information to go after the masses.

I am sure some will have been caught up in the mess, and that’s unfortunate. 

But overall it looks like Google did what was overdue.

So here’s in summary how I think the core update went down.

1. Google had enough of PBN/Niche blogs with affiliate links
2. It tried to correct this in September which is why most other sites saw no negative impact at all
3. It went beyond search console to look for suspects and turned to public forums and social media such as Twitter. I mean damn if there’s a hashtag for it, you’re probably #fcuked
4. Google search console was used to look at all linked sites and took them all down
5. High number of report manual actions not seen since 2013 indicates the core update and manual actions were in fact related. Same thing happened back in 12/13.
6. These sites can clap all they want, they’re not coming back easily.

So is the outcome better than it was. I personally think it might be. I am seeing a bit less parasite SEO, although why didn’t they crush outlook India already? 

Is there a way of recovering a site hit by the March 2024 core update?

Answer: Possibly yes but it’s not link magic that will get you there I don’t think.

 

 

(Unrelated but how f**** cool is GPT for image creation.) If you have stocks in Getty might be time to poop your pants and sell.

 

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